ONCE UNDER A SKY

Once under a sky, and by the ocean, there lived two fisher ladies: so begins the latest offering from independent theatre group Cursing the Sea – although ‘latest’ might be a bit of a stretch.

Originally devised three years ago as a physical performance with a little narration thrown in, Once Under a Sky has grown into an exploration of what it is to be bound to another person, and to give oneself over to imagination.

Its creators, actors Freya Sant and Kate Sherman and director Michael Pigott, describe it as a work born of a collective interest in landscapes: the physical environment and its power to shape us, and also, “the great internal landscapes within each of us that are mapped out through our emotions”.

There are certainly plenty of emotions to be had here. The fey, childlike May (Sant) and her serious-minded companion and keeper August (Sherman) cut from fear, to excitement, to regret, as they move beyond their usual fishing haunts to a place far from the ocean – and far from their comfort zone. Think Thelma and Louise, if Thelma and Louise were gumboot-wearing eccentrics prone to clambering on one another.

There are hints of tragedy that are never entirely explored: May’s repeated invocation by of Augie’s father, whom May has never in fact met, and who is now implied to be dead; blanket ostracisation at the hands of the townsfolk. For the most part, though, Once Under a Sky is joyful: a playful, funny take on making the best of it. Veering between poetry and slapstick, this is independent theatre at its best – original, quirky and unafraid to take risks.

Until June 4, Old Fitzroy Theatre, 129 Dowling St, Woolloomooloo, $25-33. 8019 0282, rocksurfers.org